McDowell County is home to 17,900 residents and includes Welch and Gary · Updated November 2026
How common is property crime in McDowell County?
McDowell County has less property crime than most US neighborhoods: an A, safer than the neighborhoods where 74% of Americans live. Theft makes up 58% of it. Burglary, the crime most likely to reach into a home, grades A, and vehicle theft grades A+.
A
Property crime CrimeGrade™
Safety score 918 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoodsi What this means
74% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more property crime than McDowell County as a whole, and 26% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a property crime safety score of 823, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. McDowell County scores 918.
Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more property crime than most US neighborhoods.
How to read the map: each area's color compares its property crime with the homes, parked cars and people there, on one national scale, from green for the least to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in McDowell County, WV at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in McDowell County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.
Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports
What stands out about property crime in McDowell County
Burglaries run high. McDowell County has burglaries at about double the US rate: 4.3 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.4 nationally.
Where property crime is lowest and highest in McDowell County
Every part of McDowell County where people live grades A or B for property crime on the national scale. Property crime grades across McDowell County run from A+ to A-.
100%
A or B 100%
Share of residents, by the property crime CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.
Property crime rates and types in McDowell County
CrimeGrade™ estimates McDowell County has about 21 reported property crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 10% less than the US as a whole and 39% more than West Virginia.
All property crime
Burglary
Vehicle theft
Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. Property crime here includes vandalism, which the FBI's property crime rate leaves out.
Theft is the most common property crime in McDowell County, about 58% of the total, followed by burglary and vandalism.
Each CrimeGrade™ here compares a property crime with what it affects: homes for burglary and arson, parked cars for vehicle theft, people and parking for theft, homes and businesses for vandalism. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.
Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.
Property crime in McDowell County and nearby counties
Of the 10 counties closest to McDowell County, 8 have less property crime. Bland County, VA and Wyoming County have the least.
Nearest first, with each place's distance from McDowell County. Beside each property crime CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).
Compared with counties of similar size and density, McDowell County has more property crime than 90% of them.
Empty homes, jobs and walkability in McDowell County
Among the traits that tend to go with property crime, two set McDowell County apart: it has 28.3% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally, and 17 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson, yet burglary runs lower here than that would suggest.
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.28.3% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 99% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft.17 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 99% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 98% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (3 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 99% of Americans
Show all 6
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.12% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 99% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.7.0 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 97% of Americans
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for McDowell County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.
What property crime costs McDowell County
Property crime costs McDowell County about $2.7 million a year, or $152 per resident and about $365 per household: the value of what is stolen or damaged, plus the police, courts and prisons that respond.
Cost of property crime per resident, per year
How the cost breaks down
Pain and suffering add little to the cost of property crime, so this is close to its full cost.
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Burglary
$690,000
$38
Theft
$1.1 million
$63
Vehicle theft
$280,000
$15
Arson
$240,000
$13
Vandalism
$400,000
$22
Total
$2.7 million
$152
How CrimeGrade™ works
The property crime CrimeGrade™ covers burglary, theft, car theft, arson and vandalism, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most, on one scale for the whole country.
It weighs each property crime against what it affects: homes for burglary and arson, parked cars for car theft, and the people and parking around stores for theft.
The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.
Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.
Where the numbers come from
Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
Published research on what crime costs victims and communities
These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.
